Top Gear drives Sebastien Loeb*

*In actual fact, a cardboard cut-out of him. In honour of his 9th WRC title, relive our drive in his old C4

We're clearly living in some form of superbly structured, artificial reality akin to The Matrix. And just like that epic computer kung-fu fest, there is a glitch, because Sebastien Loeb has just scored his ninth world rally championship crown. Déjà vu?

The Frenchman appears to have been coded from some sort of Rallying Handbook. Either that, or he's just that ruddy good. He took the 75th victory of his career on his ‘home turf' at the Rallye de France Alsace over the weekend, racking up enough points to claim the title.

Despite treacherously wet conditions over the four-day race, Agent Loeb took his eighth win of the season, driving his Citroen DS3 WRC car to victory by 15.5 seconds.

"This is what we came to do, experience the feelings we enjoyed in 2012 again by winning the world title ‘at home'," said Loeb. "This year the feeling is even more special though, because it is undoubtedly the last one."

That's right, he's taking a step back next year from a full-time WRC drive presumably to let everyone else have a shot at the title, no doubt content with nine straight rally championships in a row.

All this, and the man still found time to rub more salt in the wound to his rivals. "I drove carefully," he said. "There were two rallies left where I could have won the title, but I'm really happy to do it here for the fans in Alsace."

Agent Loeb, TG salutes you. Just don't try and kung-fu us to death.

In honour of his historic win, click on for the time we got to drive the big man's Citroen C4 WRC car, replete with a cardboard cut-out of him...